It was the day we laughed so hardwe made the lilacs bloom
I was ten
it was sunny
we were running like peacocks
a game of badminton
happiness all balled up in our hands
shooting out of us in shrieks and bellows
I'm a cat
she declared
and I decided I was too
a beautiful cat
with nothing to do
but chase the wind
they say it whips you in the face
but this isn't how it works
if you run hard enough
the wind bores right into you
I don't remember anything else
except the smell of the beach
sweet as carrot cake
the wind carried the rest away.